Treading water comes down to the simple ability to use arm and leg movements to keep your head above water. Water treading workouts take this concept further. Water polo players are aware that treading water is serious exercise that challenges your body and builds both your cardiovascular and muscular strength. It also increases your range of motion and flexibility. Since water is fluid and has great buoyancy, it provides a workout that challenges you, yet it's safe for many who have neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders. As a plus, water treading burns as much as 11 calories per minute, as reported by Fitness magazine. That's as much as running at 6 miles per hour.

Standard Pool Workout

Step 1

Warm up your body slowly. Start with a basic water treading workout. Pedal with both legs as though you were spinning them on a bicycle. Exaggerate this move by bringing your knees up as close to your chest as possible. Start slowly and increase the pace. Simultaneously put your arms in front of you at a 45-degree angle from your body and sweep your arms down in circle motions.

Step 2

Stand in the shallow end of the pool. Slowly sit back while treading the water with your arms. Pull both your legs firmly together and stick them straight out at an angle so that your body forms a "V" as you continue to tread the water with your arms. Cup your hands and move them in circles by your hips to push yourself forward. Do this to move forward as quickly as you comfortably can for 30 seconds. Rest. Repeat.

Step 3

Ease into a slightly more difficult exercise called the otter roll. Hug a beach ball to your chest. Float on your back. Extend your legs and pull your feet together. Roll to your left side and continue the roll completely over the beach ball. Envision how an otter moves to help with your form. Use your legs, core and back to propel yourself throughout a full revolution around the ball in which you return to your original position floating on your back. Relax and take a breath. Repeat 15 times.

Step 4

Perform a K-Tread to target the muscles in your arms, buttocks, hamstrings, back, chest and abs. Go to the deep end of the pool and start to tread water. Cup your hands and make circles with your arms. Lift your left leg until it reaches hip level. Simultaneously reach the right leg toward the bottom of the pool. Hold this pose for five to 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Do this for five repetitions per leg.

Step 5

Get vertical with the flutter kick. Your upper body needs to stay upright. Scull your arms. Straighten your legs and keep them straight. Now scissor your legs quickly. Do this 20 times in a row. This exercise builds strength, endurance and flexibility.

Step 6

Use only your legs to make waves in this intense lower body workout. Get into a pool with water that is only chest-deep. Hold on to the edge of the pool with your right hand; use gloves to protect your hands if the surface is rough. Place your left palm against the wall to help increase your stability. Pull your knees and feet closely together and straighten your legs behind you at water level. Kick vigorously. This should be a flowing motion that starts at your core and propels out through the motions with your legs. Do as many repetitions as you can within 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat as many times as desired. As you improve your strength and gain stamina, do as many repetitions as you can in 60 seconds before resting for 30 seconds.

Rehabilitation Exercises

Step 1

Set aside time for four 30-minute sessions per week for at least four weeks. The Cleveland Clinic cautions that it usually needs four weeks for rehabilitation exercises, but consult your health care practitioner to see what is right for you. Start rehabilitation exercises under the supervision of an expert in the field or a physical trainer who is an expert in rehabilitation.

Step 2

Enter the water carefully if you are performing rehabilitation exercises to reduce or eliminate impact on your muscles. According to the Aquatic Exercise Association, the impact from this workout is pretty much eliminated if you "flex at your hips and knees and lower into the water at shoulder level."

Step 3

Use a flotation belt if you have problems staying afloat on your own. Flotation devices help you exercise in water without wearing you out. They also promote better positioning in the pool.

Step 4

Tread water carefully by using the survival float, which would help you stay afloat if ever stranded in water in an emergency. It is a nice, mild exercise when working around injuries and to build strength. Scull your arms and kick your legs with straight, swift kicks. Work on building in other exercises from Section 1 and others that your trainer sees as appropriate depending on your strength and condition.

Elite Forces

Step 1

Be clear on your dedication before training for the elite forces of the Marine Corps Recon. Because four minutes of treading water is required for basic Marine training, this is a skill that will be helpful regardless of your ambitions in service, but training for the elite forces requires a strong transition to tougher workouts. Start with basic water tread exercises from Section 1 and then proceed to these more challenging workouts.

Step 2

Build up your duration in the water. The swim test that Marines are put through in only their first day in Marine Corps Recon training includes a mandatory exercise where they must tread water without touching the bottom of the pool for at least 30 minutes. Try treading water as long as you can comfortably at first, then slowly increase the duration of your workout each time.

Step 3

Practice remaining fully clothed while treading water because that is part of the requirements from the first day of elite forces training. Train by incorporating weights into this duration challenge because, during the exercise, Marines will be passing around weights and rifles in the pool while being forced to maintain the water treading. Swimming underwater is required after water treading so also practice building up your strength after mastering water treading.

Tips

If you are new to water treading workouts, do only as many of the exercises in Section 1 as you feel comfortable doing. Slowly increase the exercises you attempt as your fitness level improves.

Choose where you do your workouts carefully. Treading water exercises don't require a lot of room. A small pool will do as long as it is deep enough so that your feet do not touch the bottom of the pool during most of your treading water exercises.

Resources

About the Author

Robin Raven was first published in 1998. She has contributed to newspapers, magazines and online publications, including "The Malibu Times," "Act'ionLine" for Friends of Animals, USA Today Travel Tips and the official Melissa Gilbert website. Raven specializes in travel, health, beauty, culture, vegan nutrition, joyful living, arts and entertainment. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing.